ABS is investing in the expansion of its services to build on its industry leading position and ensure it is well placed to meet the growing needs of the marine and offshore industries. That was the message for maritime leaders from across the region at the annual ABS Southeast Asia Regional Committee meeting.

“Our safety driven mission continues to serve us well, and we are building on this strong foundation by investing in widening and deepening the scope of our class services,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO. “We are leveraging our deep domain expertise and industry relationships to create new growth opportunities and value for our clients, while guarding against the unintended consequences of the rapid and disruptive change we are witnessing in our industry. At the same time, we are focused on developing people, investing in next generation learning environments using simulation, visualization and gaming technologies to deal with the emerging challenges of fuel safety and increased cyber enabled physical systems.”​

The committee heard ABS is the leading Class in Singapore for the marine and offshore industries, with a leading fleet and orderbook position. Wiernicki also updated the members on ABS’ industry-leading fleet safety performance, which underpins its focus on safety and its mission. The ABS fleet has grown to 300 million gross tons and has secured the number one position in the global orderbook share.

“Singapore is so important to ABS. We are the market leader here and we serve this with one of the largest offices in the company,” said Wiernicki. “It is also home to the new global ABS Electrification Center to support maritime decarbonization projects. Additionally, Singapore is home to one of the five global ABS Sustainability Centers and the ABS Global Simulation Center that provides clients with a virtual representation of an asset that ABS engineers use to analyze, configure and test in a safe and cost-effective way.”

Wiernicki, who has strong ties to Singapore as a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore and a member of Singapore’s Maritime International Advisory Panel, had earlier participated in the Singapore Maritime Foundation’s New Year Kickoff event.

Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), who was the guest-of-honor at the event, said: “ABS’ strong presence in Singapore reflects ABS’ commitment to helping international shipping navigate the green and digital transformation and underscore its trust in Singapore’s role as a strategic hub for the maritime industry. MPA values its partnership with ABS and invites others to also tap into Singapore’s vibrant industry and innovation ecosystem to grow their capabilities, enhance their services, and advance the maritime sector.”

The Committee also heard about the limitations on retrofit capacity in shipyards, as well as a detailed fuel forecast from ABS sustainability leaders and the competition for alternative fuels from industries outside shipping. Other presentations covered the latest developments from ABS Wavesight^TM and highlights from more than 100 joint development projects in a range of advanced technologies.

Committee chairman, Captain Rajalingam Subramaniam, CEO, Fleet Management Limited, said: “My thanks to ABS for connecting us, bringing this esteemed group of colleagues together to exchange ideas and engage in constructive discussions to support innovative solutions and forward progress in the maritime industry.”